Golf-ball ricochets and golf clubs hitting a steel structure were among the problems at a driving range in west Belfast, a court heart yesterday.
The facility, which had to close after 10 months, is to be rebuilt.
The announcement to rebuild the range was made by the charity which built it, the Colin Glen Trust, after it settled a case for damages against the architects who designed it at the High Court yesterday.
The court was told that the action, in which the trust was suing McAdam Design for damages and breach of retainer, had been settled on terms endorsed.
It is understood the terms included no admission of liability on behalf of McAdam Design, but the amount of damages it has agreed to give the trust is believed to be in excess of £260,000.
The driving range at Colin Valley Golf Club had been opened by the trust in Upper Dunmurry Lane in July 2001 in an attempt to provide not only a popular amenity but long-term jobs in the area. However, it was closed after just 10 months.
At the opening of the action for damages last week, counsel for the trust, Mr Frank O'Donoghue, told the court that golfers who used the driving range had found that balls were ricocheting off the roof and back at them.
"Balls were lost over the driving range, and the trust had to start employing people to go to either side of the range to collect them."
He said that golf clubs were broken because of the size of the bays, and structural steel was interfering with the back-swing and follow-through of the golfers.
The voluntary chairman of the trust, Mr Barry Gilligan, yesterday issued a statement calling the settlement a "great victory for the trust, and a complete vindication of its position".
He added: "The driving range at Colin Valley Golf Club had proved to be an instantly popular recreational amenity in south and west Belfast, and provided 20 much-needed jobs in the area.
"The closure of the driving range after 10 months due to failure to comply with health and safety regulations was greatly felt in the community, both socially and economically.
"Colin Glen Trust will now proceed to reinvest the funds to rebuild the facility as soon as possible, and replace the jobs lost through its closure."